Educational information, not medical advice — ask your doctor or midwife.
Yarrow is a common wild herb used in European folk medicine for wounds, fevers and upset stomachs. The plant has feathery leaves and flat heads of small white or pink flowers. The dried leaves and flowering tops are the parts used.
Human evidence is thin. Most of what is known comes from lab and animal work, plus a few small trials. Long use in tradition is not proof that it works, and it is not proof that it is safe.
Yarrow belongs to the daisy family. If ragweed, daisies, marigold or chamomile give you a rash or hay fever, yarrow may do the same.
It is sold as a tea, a tincture, a capsule and a skin cream. There is also a strong essential oil, which is for the skin and the air, never for swallowing.
No one has shown clearly how yarrow acts in the human body. The ideas below come mostly from test tubes and animals.
In lab tests, extracts of yarrow slow some signals linked to swelling and pain. In animal studies, they have eased gut cramping and reduced inflammation in the skin.
In test tubes, yarrow extracts slow the growth of some bacteria and fungi. Whether that matters on a real wound is not established.
Older animal work suggested a compound in yarrow may shorten the time blood takes to clot. This has not been confirmed in people. Oddly, the same herb is also flagged as a possible bleeding risk, which shows how unsettled the picture is.
The bitter taste may prompt the stomach to make more juice and ease appetite. That is a traditional idea for bitter herbs, not a proven effect of yarrow.
Yarrow is sold in several forms, and they are not equal in strength.
- Dried herb for tea, loose or in bags. - Tincture, a liquid extract in alcohol. - Capsules and tablets of powdered herb.
- Creams, salves and compresses for the skin. - Essential oil, for scent or diluted skin use only. - Fresh leaf, pressed on small cuts in folk use.
The essential oil is far stronger than tea. Do not swallow it.
Yarrow has one of the longest records of any European herb. The name Achillea points to Achilles, who was said in Greek legend to treat soldiers' wounds with it.
Folk names such as soldier's woundwort and nosebleed plant show the main old use. Herbalists packed the crushed leaf into cuts and nosebleeds.
In European household medicine it was also brewed as a hot tea for fevers and colds, often with elderflower and peppermint. Bitter yarrow tonics were taken for poor appetite and gut cramps.
In China, the dried stalks were used to cast the I Ching, a divination text. That use is cultural, not medical.
These are historical practices, recorded here as history rather than as advice.
Stop yarrow and get emergency help at once if you have swelling of the lips, face, tongue or throat, trouble breathing, or a spreading hives rash. These signs point to a serious allergy.
Stop and see a doctor soon if you get a skin rash, yellow skin or eyes, unusual bruising or bleeding, or if you feel very drowsy.
See a doctor rather than continuing the herb if your stomach pain, heavy periods, nosebleeds or fever last more than a few days or keep coming back. Any wound that is hot, swollen or oozing needs to be checked.
In the United States, yarrow is sold as a dietary supplement and is not reviewed for effect before sale. In the UK and the EU it is sold as a food, a cosmetic or a traditional herbal product. German herbal authorities approved bitter yarrow preparations for poor appetite and mild gut cramps on traditional grounds. European food law limits thujone in drinks flavoured with the plant.
Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.
What it is typically used for, usual dose, cautions, and the study behind it where real trial data exists.
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